Vehicle wash systems are in common use to clean passenger vehicles such as automobiles. These vehicle wash systems may include a number of washing components that can be used to clean different sections of the vehicle. For example, wash systems may include a top brush that cleans the top surfaces of the vehicle and side brushes that clean the side surfaces of the vehicle. The top brush is typically raised and lowered relative to the vehicle to clean the varying heights inherent in the top surfaces of vehicles. The top brush may also be moved fore-and-aft to travel along the length of the vehicle, or the vehicle may be conveyed past the top brush to cover the length of the vehicle. The side brushes, similar to the top brush, may be translated fore-and-aft relative to the vehicle to cover the length of the vehicle, either by translating the brush relative to stationary vehicle, or conveying the vehicle past stationary brushes.
Traditional side brushes may be disposed on ground engaged rails and extend vertically from the rails, and may travel forward and rearward along the side surface of the vehicle to clean the side of the vehicle while rotating about a vertical axis. The side surfaces of vehicles are typically curved in a convex manner, with the side window glass being tilted inward from a middle portion of the body away from the component frame. Similarly, the rocker panels of the vehicle may tilt inwardly at the bottom of the vehicle toward the component frame. Accordingly, a vertical cylindrical shaped brush may be ineffective in cleaning each of these surfaces. In this approach, the brush may not adequately contact and impact the angled top and bottom portions when the middle portion of the side surface is being properly cleaned. If the brush is moved inward to more effectively contact the angled upper and lower portions, the middle portion may be impacted with too much force, which could damage the surface finish or lead to an undesirable increase in noise.
One solution to treat the angled side surfaces of the vehicle is to use side brushes that have a contoured and non-cylindrical profile that tends to correspond to the typical vehicle profile. The brushes may have enlarged diameters at the top and the bottom of the brush, such that they will reach the upper and lower portions. However, these brushes are not specifically tailored to the vehicles, which can lead to an uneven wash. Moreover, the larger diameters result in a greater surface feet per minute contact with the brush at the upper and lower portions, causing a greater impact force on the top and bottom of the vehicle, leading to undesirable increases in noise and potential damage to the vehicle.
Additionally, the increased diameter of the upper portion may extend over the hood or the rear of the vehicle while the middle portion is cleaning the fender areas. Accordingly, the larger diameter portion of the brush may contact the vehicle antenna and damage the vehicle antenna.
Another problem with vertical side brushes includes the potential for the rigid hub of the side brushes to interfere with the vehicle side mirrors when cleaning the side surface of the vehicle. The was media elements that extend from the hub must be brought into engagement with the side surfaces of the vehicle, thereby bringing the hub close to the protruding side mirrors in order for the wash media to reach the side surfaces that are located inboard of the side mirror extension.
In view of the above, there is a need for an improved vehicle wash system.